


Always First In My Heart

by captainamergirl



Category: Fuller House (TV)
Genre: F/M, Fluff, Fuller House Origins Fic, How it all happened, Meeting cute
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-09-25
Updated: 2018-09-26
Packaged: 2019-07-17 10:59:18
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 4,224
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16094288
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/captainamergirl/pseuds/captainamergirl
Summary: This is a DJ/Tommy Sr. fan fiction. How did they meet, how did they fall in love? Read on to find out.





	1. First Meeting

**Author's Note:**

> Tommy is "played" by actor Casper Van Dien in my mind - who of course starred opposite Candace Cameron Bure in the movie "Night Scream". This is supposed to be a pretty fluffy fic so I am not going to kill him off at the end, just FYI.

**1: First Meeting**

The huge orange and white tabby cat stared at her from its kennel. His green and yellow-flecked eyes were full of what she interpreted to be complete mistrust - and she didn't exactly blame him for it. He probably knew what was coming.

She opened the medicine cabinet and withdrew a vial and a syringe. She made quick work of filling the syringe with the medicine and then moved towards the cat. He kept staring at her although his teeth were slightly bared now and his claws retracted back and forth in the cage.

"Alright, Mr. Whiskers, it's time for your shot," DJ said. "I know these things suck but I promise you that it will be over in a minute. Just be really calm, okay?"

The second she opened the cage door, the cat flew at her, dragging his claws painfully down her cheek. She shrieked as the cat jumped free from its cage and sprinted across the floor. In the melee, the needle went flying too and before she could react, it had stabbed down deep into her toe. She should have known better than to wear open-toes to work! That's what her father always told her __not__ to do. She should have listened to him.

She bent over and ripped the needle free from where it was embedded in her big toe. Blood trickled from the wound. She grabbed her cheek and felt warm, sticky residue there. That cat! Surely she had overlooked the signs. He __had__ to be rabid.

She was still shrieking as she hobbled towards the door. "Someone catch that cat. Someone catch Mr. Whiskers!" She cried out. She ran into the lobby. The cat was desperately looking for a way out of the building. DJ managed to corner him with her dotty assistant Sue's help. She inched towards him, warning Sue that he was a mean one.

"You should be the one to grab him then," Sue said. "Your face is already messed up and I can't afford to mar my own body. I want to be a model someday, remember?"

DJ rolled her eyes and advanced on the mean feline. She was __thisclose__ to grabbing him when the door suddenly opened and a man with a huge Saint Bernard on a leash walked in. The dog and cat took one look at each other and the dog snarled while the cat hissed. Mr. Whiskers then took the opportunity to steal through DJ's legs and run out the open door.

"No!" DJ cried. "Ohmigod. Mr. Whiskers's owners will kill me if I lose him." It was only her second week on the job and already she had lost a patient. Would Dr. Harmon fire her? He seemed like a relaxed sort of guy, but if there was a lawsuit or something, he'd can for her sure.

DJ took off running out the door. She spotted the cat weaving its way through a gaggle of people congregating on the sidewalk. "Somebody catch that cat!" she yelled but everyone just stared at her as if she was nuts. With blood dripping from her face and big toe, she couldn't exactly blame them.

"Mr. Whiskers!" DJ cried. "No, don't go into the street!" Her legs pumped powerfully as she darted after the cat. Horns honked as Mr. Whiskers and DJ sprinted across the street. DJ was nearly clipped by a Ford Focus and the driver shouted several obscenities at her.

She made it to the other side of the street but not with her shoes intact. They were both lost somewhere along the way. Her Choos were no more! "This cat is crazy," DJ spat as she watched Mr. Whiskers run to the nearest tree and hurriedly scale up it. The cat left claw marks in the bark as if hefted itself to the tallest branch of them all.

DJ stood by the tree, glaring up at the beast. "You're not very nice, you know that? In fact, you're kind of the Cujo of cats. I really don't appreciate what you've done to me when all I was trying to do was make you feel better."

DJ realized she was drawing looks from passersby. They saw her screaming up at something in the tree and hurried away as if she were contagious.

She thought of climbing the tree herself but in the end, she knew with her toe hurting so badly and being completely out of breath, that she'd never make it. She opened the pocket of her lab coat and withdrew her big, clunky mobile phone.

She quickly dialed 911 as she kept one eye on the wicked feline in the tree.

XoXoXo

The call came in at exactly noon. "Cat in a tree," Tommy's partner Gary said as he piloted the truck. "How many freaking times have we asked the public __not__ to dial 911 for crap like that?"

Tommy smiled at his grumpy friend. No doubt Gary's hypoglycemia could be attributed to his current glower. "We can rescue a cat before lunch. We've got the time. Besides, the owners are always grateful. Remember that old lady who tried to thank us for saving her cat with a plate of brownies?"

"I remember. I could eat about fifty brownies right now," Gary said, rubbing his growling stomach. "No make that a __hundred__ brownies."

Tommy smirked. "Tell you what. Help me rescue the cat and I'll buy you the biggest brownie in all of San Francisco."

"I'm holding you to that," Gary said and he immediately popped on the sirens, racing through the streets, although they weren't supposed to drive like this when it was just a mere case of a feline stuck in a tree. Tommy didn't bother to correct him though. One had to pick their battles with this big guy.

They arrived on a bustling street called Webber Lane. Gary pulled the truck down the road and they looked for the cat and the woman who had called. "I think that's her," Tommy said, spotting the backside of a petite blonde. She was standing beneath the lower branches of the tree, shouting upwards.

"You mean, you __hope__ that's her," Gary corrected. "She's got a nice body, I'll give her that. Even if she is just another crazy cat lady."

Tommy laughed and climbed out of the car, jogging over to the woman. "Excuse me, Miss," he called to her. "We're from the fire department. We're here to get the cat out of the tree."

"Oh thank god!" the woman said, swinging around. She took one look at him and got a little red in the face. She covered her cheek which dribbled blood.

"Did the cat do that to you?" Tommy asked, gesturing to her bloodied cheek.

"Yes, he's kind of a jerk," the woman said. "God, this is so pathetic. Only my second week on the job and __voila!__ Catastrophe strikes."

Tommy shrugged. "It could happen to anyone."

Gary was busy dragging over the ladder. Tommy went to him and helped him position it right by the tree. "I'll get the cat," Tommy volunteered. For some reason, he really wanted to be the one who rescued the demon kitty. Maybe to impress the pretty, if scratched up, blonde in the lab coat…

He shook his head to clear his thoughts. He then started up the steps. "Be careful," the woman said. "He's really mean."

"I'll take that under advisement," Tommy said. He looked down at Gary. "Gary, can you get the first aid kit? She needs a little attention, I'd say."

"Oh don't worry. I'm fine," the blonde said, waving her hand dismissively.

"What about cat scratch fever?" Gary grumbled. He turned and went back to the truck to retrieve the kit.

Tommy kept climbing until he reached the third to the last tier. He was right at the cat's eye level then. "Hey there, Pal," he said to the cat. "I am going to pick you up, okay? Please don't attack me. I'm not going to hurt you. I promise."

The cat stared at him as Tommy slowly reached out and began to pet his head. To Tommy's surprise, the tabby leaned into his touch and started purring like a motor boat. "Hey, you like that? Good boy," Tommy said. He reached for the cat, tucking the big blob of fur safely under his arm. Then he climbed back down slowly.

The blonde stared at him in shock as the tabby cuddled to Tommy's side, staring up at him with wide-eyed wonder. "He didn't scratch you. He's letting you hold him. You're like… The Cat Whisperer," she said in a reverent voice.

Tommy laughed. "That's what it says on my badge," he joked. "No, not really. I think I just got lucky."

"Really lucky," she said. She looked at the cat warily. "You sure caused a lot of trouble, Mr. Whiskers." She started to reach for the tabby but it hissed at her.

"I'd better carry him for you," Tommy said.

"Thank you," the blonde said. "This is humiliating."

"You think that's humiliating? Let me tell you about the time I accidentally drove the rig over Gary's foot."

"You didn't!" She laughed.

"You didn't notice his hobbling? That one is all on me."

"You're joking."

"Well…"

"You're trying to make me feel like less of an idiot."

"You're not an idiot."

She shrugged sheepishly. "You really don't mind carrying Mr. Whiskers back inside?"

"Nope," he said. Adding silently, __this gives me more time to talk to you.__

XoXoXo

The really hot firefighter who DJ learned was named Tommy, held Mr. Whiskers as she administered the cat's heartworm treatment. He then carefully set the tabby back inside of the cage, latching the door securely.

The one called Gary came in with the first aid kit but Tommy told him he'd take care of things. "Just go find yourself some cheese," Tommy said.

Gary nodded. DJ thought she saw him snitch a dog treat from a bowl on the way out of the room but she couldn't be sure. She felt a little woozy all of a sudden. She plopped down heavily onto a chair.

"You okay?" Tommy asked her.

"Yeah. I think I am just tired from chasing that cat all around the town."

Tommy nodded. "I can believe that." He opened the kit and withdrew supplies as DJ watched him. Her eyesight was a little blurry but she felt him look her over for a moment before his eyes settled on her feet.

"How did that happen?"

"How did what?" She asked. She looked down. "Oh, the blood on my toe?"

"Yeah. Did Mr. Whiskers claw you there too?"

"No, that's from being stabbed with a hypodermic needle full of wormer."

Tommy stared at her in surprise. "Come again?"

"When the demon kitty flew out of the cage, he knocked the needle from my hand and it landed right in my toe."

His expression turned serious, matter of fact. "What kind of effects would wormer have on a human?"

"I don't know," DJ said. "Is it hot in here?" She fanned her face with her hand. "Because it feels hot."

"The thermostat says it's a cool seventy in here," Tommy said. "You don't look so good."

"Gee, thanks."

"No, I mean you just look a little green. Is it possible you're having some kind of reaction to that medication you got a toe-full of?"

"I guess I could be slightly allergic."

"You guess?"

"Well, I never stabbed myself with the stuff before so how should I know?" DJ said. "Oh jeez, the room is spinning. Is it supposed to be spinning? I think I'm going to hurl." She started to stagger to her feet but didn't make it very far at all. Instead the contents of her late breakfast erupted from her lips and landed all over Tommy's boots!

"Ohmigod!" She screamed. "I'm so -"

"It's okay," Tommy said though he was cringing a bit. "Nothing a little shoe shine can't fix."

"You're being so agreeable and I'm being so .. barfy."

"Are you feeling like you have to vomit again?"

"Yes."

Tommy grabbed for the trash can very quickly and shoved it over to her. She then crouched low and started to heave. She felt Tommy come to stand behind her and reach for her long hair, drawing it back as she threw up. This had to be the single most embarrassing moment of her life and she thought she had survived the worst during her awkward teenage years...

DJ wiped her mouth when she was done and turned to stare at him. "I'm so sorry," she said.

"It's okay. I think I'll drive you to the hospital though so a doctor can check you out."

"No, I'll be fine," DJ said. "I feel better already."

"Look, I can't just leave you like this."

"I'll be fine. I swear. The whatever it was, isn't affecting me anymore."

"I still want to take you to the hospital."

"Please don't. I can't begin to explain this to another soul without dying of abject humiliation. And it's bad enough that Sue will no doubt tell my boss about this, but if I leave now, before my shift is even half over, I may get fired."

"I think-"

She held up a hand to stop him. "I'll be fine. I swear."

He sighed. "I don't feel good about this… But just know that if that wormer turns you into a cat, this is all on you," he joked.

"No danger of that. __I hope."__

"Let me just clean and bandage your wounds and then I'll head out."

"Thanks," DJ said. "Thank you so much."

She watched him covertly under her eyelashes as he went to work swabbing her cheek and toe. He really was such a gorgeous, genuinely nice guy. She deflated knowing she would probably never see him again.

XoXoXo

"That was surreal," Gary said as they walked out of the veterinarian's office. He was munching on something that looked suspiciously like a mini-milk bone.

"Tell me about it," Tommy said with a smile.

"I'm so glad to be away from that crazy lady and Cat-zilla."

Tommy shook his head. "Don't say that."

"Why not? Aren't you glad to be rid of them too?"

"Nope."

"Oh I get it. You like the lady vet, huh? Figures."

"Yeah, I do. I like her a lot actually... One day, trust me, Gary, she's going to be my wife."

Gary clapped him hard on the shoulder. "Sure, Tommy, surrrrre…"


	2. First Pet

** First Pet **   
  
Tommy knew that he wanted to see the sexy lady veterinarian again. He knew he  _had_ to see her. She was all he had been thinking about for the past two weeks and Gary kept ribbing him about how he had said she would be his wife, but he had made no moves to actually see her again. However, he could hardly just walk into her office with no reason. That would look borderline stalkerish. No, it would just be stalkerish.   
  
He was jogging by a pet store one morning when he got the idea. He always passed this place, but never really saw it, not until today anyway. A big puppy - a St. Benard, maybe; at least he looked like "Beethoven" from that old movie from his childhood - had spotted him and was pressing his big brown nose up against the glass, leaving puffs of steam on the pane.   
  
The giant puppy was trapped in a small cage and his eyes just begged for Tommy to free him - seeming to say,  _“get me out of me, Mister, and I’ll love you forever”._ And if he had a dog, maybe  _DJ_ would love him forever…   
  
The wheels turned in Tommy’s head as he slowed to a stop and watched the dog. The big puppy raised up on his big paws and eyed Tommy with this tongue lolling from his mouth, dripping drool all over the place. It was more than a little gross but Tommy knew this was the one. He opened the door to the pet store and walked inside. There was a female with pimply skin leaning against the counter, examining her nails which were painted coal-black in color. She didn’t even address him until he was standing in front of her.   
  
“Hi,” Tommy said, “how much for that doggy in the window?” He pointed at the giant puppy who had turned around and was staring at Tommy, wagging his tail excitedly.   
  
The woman shrugged. “Price is on his cage.”   
  
Tommy moved over to it and gingerly stuck his fingers through the pen. The dog immediately licked them and barked at him. Tommy smiled and looked at the price tag. Five hundred dollars and fifty-five cents of all things. Tommy definitely wasn’t carrying that much in cash and wasn’t sure that he could afford it even on his debit card but he’d try anyway.   
  
He gestured at the dog. “I’ll take him,” he said.   
  
The woman nodded. “Okay, I’ll ring you up over here.” She stepped around the counter and Tommy withdrew his wallet from his pocket. He handed her his debit card and ID. He crossed his fingers behind his back, silently hoping that there was enough money on it. After all, a big dog like that was sure to win him lots of brownie points with DJ.   
  
He almost pumped his fist in triumph as the machine dinged and a receipt shot out of it. The woman passed the paper to him wordlessly and he signed it. He turned to look at the dog as the woman grabbed for the keys to the pen and walked over to the dog. She opened the door and the dog immediately bounded out, running for Tommy like he had been waiting for him all of his life. Tommy reached over and pet him, running his fingers through the silky fur atop his head.   
  
“Can I have a leash?” Tommy asked the woman.   
  
“Sure. They’re along the wall. Start at fifteen dollars a piece.”   
  
“They’re not complimentary when you buy a pet?” Tommy asked. The woman looked at him like he was stupid, not to mention crazy. Tommy sighed. “Okay, what kind of food does he eat?”   
  
The woman looked decidedly put upon but pointed to a display case of canned and dry food. Tommy picked up the dog which weighed a good fifty pounds at least and carried him over there. The dog licked his face happily and then paused rather suddenly. The next thing Tommy knew warm wetness was spreading across the front of his shirt.  _The dog had just peed on him!_  
  
XoXoXo   
  
Tommy got the dog home to his condo and after asking him to  _try_ to behave himself, he set some food in a chipped ceramic dish. The dog went wild digging into it and Tommy used the free moment to move to the telephone. He riffled through the yellow pages, finally finding the listing for the veterinarian's office. Keeping one eye on the burly dog, he began to dial the phone.   
  
A bored-sounding female answered the phone, parroting an unemotional greeting. “Hi,” Tommy said. “My name is Tommy Fuller and I just got a dog. I would like to see Dr. Tanner so she can examine him; make sure he’s healthy, you know.”   
  
“Yeah okay,” the woman said with a sigh. “Are you available this afternoon? She has a four o’clock spot open.”   
  
“I’ll take it,” Tommy said. Fortunately he wasn’t working until seven that night, so this worked out. It was almost … kismet.   
  
XoXoXo   
  
DJ had had the longest day. She’d had several mean patients and their pet parents weren’t much friendlier. A dog had bit her - twice - and worst of all, she’d had another dog die on her table. They had been hit by a car and in the end, there was nothing she could do to save them. She hated that she couldn’t help the little guy; she really did. Listening to their owners cry had broken her heart.   
  
All she wanted to do was go home, crack open a bottle of wine and watch "Three's Company" reruns on Nick at Nite, but the day wasn’t over yet. She still had two hours left on the clock.   
  
“DJ, your four o’clock is in room two,” Sue said as DJ stepped out of her shoe-box-sized office.   
  
“Thanks, Sue,” DJ said. She set a stack of charts before Sue. “Can you file those away for me?” Sue just rolled her eyes and DJ didn’t expect it to be done anytime soon. She rolled her eyes too and then forced a smile to her face as she went to open the door to room two.   
  
But when she saw who was in there, her smile eased into a real grin. “Hey, you look familiar,” she greeted the gorgeous fireman.   
  
“You do too,” Tommy said. “Hey there, Dr. Tanner.”   
  
DJ shook her head. “Oh, please call me DJ. I feel like we should be on a first name basis considering that I’ve puked on you.”   
  
Tommy laughed. It was a rich, throaty sound. Kind of sexy too. DJ found herself blushing a bit so she turned to look at the dog with him. It sat on its haunches, wagging it’s tail wildly. DJ smiled and immediately crouched down to let the dog sniff her hands. “He’s so gorgeous,” DJ said, reaching out to stroke his fur. “Aren’t you gorgeous, honey?” She said to the St. Benard. The dog woofed in reply.   
  
DJ turned to look at Tommy. “I didn’t know you had a dog.”   
  
“He’s a new acquisition in my life,” Tommy said with an easy smile. He moved to ruffle the dog’s fur too.   
  
“What’s his name?” DJ asked as she rolled over a chair and sat on it. She pulled her stethoscope from her lab coat pocket.   
  
“I just got him so I don’t know yet. I was kind of waiting him for him to name himself.”   
  
DJ chuckled. “That should be interesting.”   
  
“But what does he look like to you - a Rover, a Lucky?”   
  
DJ shook her head. “No, he - he kind of seems like a … Jake to me.”   
  
Tommy nodded. “That works." He smiled at the dog. “Jake - do you like that name?” The St. Benard barked and beat his tail furiously against the ground. “Okay, Jake it is.”   
  
“Hey, Jake,” DJ said. She looked at Tommy. “You’re awfully agreeable.”   
  
He grinned. “I try.”   
  
DJ pressed the cold metal to the dog’s chest and moved it around, listening the dog’s heartbeat and moving it lower, to listen to his bowel sounds. “He seems really healthy and happy,” DJ said. “I just want to take his temperature and give him some shots, assuming that he hasn’t had them yet.”   
  
“I don’t think he has,” Tommy said.   
  
Tommy’s eyes bugged out when DJ grabbed for the thermometer and lifted Jake’s tail. “You’re not actually going to -” He looked away and DJ couldn’t help but laugh.   
  
“You’ve certainly seen worse than this as a firefighter.”   
  
“Yeah, I guess so,” Tommy said but continued to look away.   
  
DJ laughed and yanked off her gloves, moving to the sink to wash her hands. “That part’s all done… Is this your first dog?”   
  
“That obvious huh?” Tommy said.   
  
“Well…”   
  
“My Dad was horribly allergic to animals so we never had one growing up. And my mom thought that fish smelled so we didn’t have any of those either.”   
  
“Well you’re doing great with Jake so far. What compelled you to get a dog though all of a sudden?”   
  
“I guess I just wanted to find out what I was missing out on.”   
  
DJ smiled. “Well this is going to be an adventure for both of you but you’re going to love being a dog daddy.”   
  
Tommy laughed. “A dog daddy?”   
  
“Oh do you prefer pet parent or maybe something more generic like pet owner?” DJ said. “Though I don’t think anyone really owns a dog.”   
  
“No, the dog owns  _them,”_ Tommy said.   
  
DJ nodded. “Yes... I’ll bring Jake into the back to give him his shots. Do you have any questions for me?”   
  
“Yes. Two, actually.”   
  
“Okay, shoot.”   
  
“First of all, how do I get him to stop eating my shoes? He got two of them just while I was in the shower.”   
  
“Oh puppies will do that for awhile,” DJ said. “He’s just trying to strengthen his teeth.”   
  
“And here I just thought he was just hungry. I mean, he’s big. He eats a ton.”   
  
“And he’s only going to get bigger. St. Benard’s can get well over a hundred pounds."   
  
“Wow. Sounds like it's going to cost a fortune to feed him,” Tommy joked. "Better pick up some extra shifts at the firehouse; maybe take out a second mortgage on my place..."   
  
DJ grinned. "That may actually be necessary ... Now, as for your shoes ... just put them out of his reach for now and buy him a chew toy or two."   
  
"Okay."   
  
"And now for that other question?”   
  
Tommy smiled, almost a little nervously. “The other question…”   
  
“Yes, you said there were two.”   
  
“Oh. Right. Well my second question is ... DJ, honestly, I really like you, and this may seem forward and even awkward, but would you go on a date with me?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I am not a big believer in buying animals from pet stores. I believe we should rescue pets from the shelter as much as we can ... but it worked for this story. Do as I say, not as I do!


End file.
